10% (?) of us can't get "help"

[Iridisis]

This is just an FYI for anyone who is not aware (I've found there are many)...in the US our healthcare is terrible, most everyone knows that. But in case you don't know, there's a segment of society (estimated 10%) who are self-employed (BOTH spouses) and cannot obtain true group health insurance. We must purchase INDIVIDUAL health insurance...IF we can afford it. Individual insurers have free reign and can do WHATEVER the heck they please. Be aware, that if you take one med for anxiety and/or depression, or are ever hospitalized, you may be uninsurable. There is no way that this "discrimination" should be allowed, but it is.

[Robbed]

Underwritten health insurance policies (which is what you have to get if you don't have health insurance through an employer) are truly the work of the devil. You mention, for instance, that it is impossible to get insurance if you are currently on depression or anxiety medication. Well, it's actually worse than that - you typically cannot get insurance if you have EVER been on depression or anxiety medication (even if you haven't taken it for years). And I wouldn't be surprised if you can't get insurance if you were merely prescribed depression or anxiety medication, but never took it. Furthermore, you can be dropped from such policies at any time, and for any reason. Failure to disclose some relatively insignificant health problem from your distant past is one such reason. But it is also not unknown for someone to be dropped at the onset of a serious medical condition. In other words, these policies are basically useless - they take your money, and often fail to deliver when you really have a problem. In other words, they aren't really good if you actually NEED health insurance. It has actually been said that being uninsured is a better way to go.

[Iridisis]

Yes...and we are thinking of doing just that. At least it will free up the money to go to the doctor. Of course, there's a massive amount of worry involved in "what if" the worst happens...would we lose everything, probably so, but knowing how these companies work, we'd probably lose it anyway even if we kept the lousy "insurance."

I'm not thrilled about our government controlling things, but neither am I thrilled about greedy all-for-profit big companies controlling things.

People who lose their jobs in this economy may not have a choice when their COBRA runs out (IF they can pay for COBRA in the first place). If/when that happens, there will be more than 10% in this fix.

[Robbed]

I'm not thrilled about our government controlling things, but neither am I thrilled about greedy all-for-profit big companies controlling things.

Pick your poison!